DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

15 January 2025-23:59-GMT+01:00 West Africa Standard Time (Lagos)

WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status or disability.

ABOUT WFP

The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity, for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

At WFP, people are at the heart of everything we do and the vision of the future WFP workforce is one of diverse, committed, skilled, and high performing teams, selected on merit, operating in a healthy and inclusive work environment, living WFP’s values (Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity, and Inclusion) and working with partners to save and change the lives of those WFP serves.

To learn more about WFP, visit our website: https://www.wfp.org and follow us on social media to keep up with our latest news: YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok.

WHY JOIN WFP?

• WFP is a 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
• WFP offers a highly inclusive, diverse, and multicultural working environment.
• WFP invests in the personal & professional development of its employees through a range of training, accreditation, coaching, mentorship, and other programs as well as through internal mobility opportunities.
• A career path in WFP provides an exciting opportunity to work across the various country, regional and global offices around the world, and with passionate colleagues who work tirelessly to ensure that effective humanitarian assistance reaches millions of people across the globe.
• We offer an attractive compensation package (please refer to the Terms and Conditions section of this vacancy announcement).

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

Nigeria continues to be affected by a deepening humanitarian crisis brought about by a multitude of factors ranging from insecurity to economic shocks and rising food prices to climate change induced natural disasters. Results from the November 2024 Cadre Harmonisé assessment show that food insecurity continues to be major concern, with food consumption scores in some areas of the states analysed being at IPC levels two (stressed) and IPC three (crisis). During the lean season, food insecurity reaches IPC level four (emergency) in some areas, making nearly two million people dependent on humanitarian assistance.

Already vulnerable people such as IDPs and returnees are disproportionately affected by natural hazards, which was very apparent during the 2022 and 2024 floods. This additional exposure to natural hazards on top of pre-existing vulnerabilities necessitates novel approaches for humanitarian and development actors to assist communities and the government to be better prepared and to mitigate the risk of natural hazards, particularly floods. One such approach is anticipatory action (AA), which relies on strong early warning (EW) capacities. AA is unique in that it is aimed at acting ahead of predicted hazards to prevent or reduce human suffering by protecting livelihoods and even saving lives. In the Nigerian context, AA pilot initiatives so far have focused on mitigating the effects of floods, which occur on a seasonal basis.

While WFP has been implementing anticipatory action activities in thirty-nine countries worldwide, in Nigeria this is just now getting started. Various discussions and consultations have been held over the past six months to determine WFPs strategy with regards to EW&AA, including with OCHA, FAO, UNICEF, the FSS, IFRC and the Nigerian Red Cross, the IRC and various governmental institutions such as NEMA, SEMA, NiHSA and NiMET. Notably, for the first time, AA is also integrated fully into the 2025 HNRP. ECHO is similarly starting in 2025 with EW&AA as part of its Disaster Prevention window.

Going forward, WFP and its partners need to strengthen EW&AA capabilities in Nigeria, providing capacity building to government institutions at various levels while also working on a harmonization of policies and approaches. To better coordinate this, while simultaneously advancing WFPs footprint in anticipatory action implementation, the CO Nigeria is seeking to recruit an Anticipatory Action Officer, ideally on a TDY basis.

JOB PURPOSE

The Anticipatory Action Officer will be the main focal point within WFP Nigeria for anything related to EW&AA. He/she will work under the overall supervision of the Head and Deputy head of Programme, and in close collaboration with the crisis response, resilience, capacity strengthening and RAM units. The duration of this assignment is initially for six months, with the possibility of an extension.

The AA Officer will help formulate WFPs strategy with regards to EW&AA, working closely with OCHA, FAO, UN agencies, IFRC, (I)NGOs and government counterparts to ensure harmonized approaches. This entails the development of a coherent concept that identifies what risks to focus on, what funding mechanisms might be tapped into (CERF, NHF, GCF, etc.), what the pre-defined triggers would be, and what kind of support WFP would be able to provide as part of a wider multi-sectoral response. The AA Officer will also represent the CO vis-à-vis the AA Task Force and explore other areas where EW&AA activities could be implemented.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive, within delegated authority):

1.Facilitate the Technical Support mission that is expected to take place in Nigeria during the first half of February.

2.Together with the Capacity Strengthening (SO4) and Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) focal point, make sure EW&AA activities are aligned with Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) as well as Disaster Response activities.
3.In collaboration with relevant technical staff from HQ/RBD, identify WFP support areas for technical capacity strengthening of national institutions such as the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), state level Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs), the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET), with the objective to improve flood forecasting ability in terms of quality and timing.
4.Identify flood related anticipatory actions that could be implemented at the community level and linked to crisis response and resilience building activities.
5.Review current SOPs and communication structures (vertical and horizontal) for flood risk and make suggestions for potential improvements to strengthen flood early warning, preparedness, and anticipatory actions at different levels.
6.Review concept notes and learn from WFP experiences where Anticipatory Actions for flood risks are already being implemented such as in Bangladesh, Burundi, and Nepal.
7.Prepare concept notes and, jointly with RBD and HQ, draft the Anticipatory Action Plan (AAP) for WFP Nigeria.
8.Together with OCHA and FAO, facilitate workshops and trainings to ensure EW&AA concepts are well understood among various stakeholders, including (I)NGOs and government counterparts from the federal down to the state and local levels.
9.Produce an overview of the current NEMA and SEMA communication strategy for flood alerts and warnings and areas for improvement.
10.Produce an overview of community-based flood preparedness and come up with suggestions for improvement for communication of alerts/warning and anticipatory actions.
11.Represent WFP at various forums related to EW&AA, including the AA Task Force, Trigger Working group, etc.
12.Ensure adequate reporting on EW & AA vis-à-vis the 2025 HNRP and ECHO HIP 2025.
13.Screen the donor landscape for potential funding of the Anticipatory Action concept in Nigeria and prepare project proposals accordingly. One possibility to investigate is funding from the Green Climate Fund (GCF).

Deliverables at the End of the Contract
1.Together with HQ GIS and the CO RAM unit, prepare a comprehensive set of natural hazard risks (flood, drought, heat wave etc) and vulnerability maps.
2.Following the technical support mission, draft a concept note outlining WFPs EW&AA Strategy for Nigeria, based on which the Anticipatory Action Plan for Nigeria can be drafted jointly with RBD and HQ.
3.Implement EW&AA activities as laid out in funding proposals such as the HRNP and ECHO HIP 2025 Disaster Prevention.
4.Draft Project Proposals if applicable and ensure EW&AA considerations are reflected in other proposals as well.

Professional Experience:
Consultancy Level II: Applicable to tasks which require five to ten years of relevant professional experience and knowledge of a variety of different methods, procedures and alternatives to complete the assigned tasks. Such tasks which will normally consist in providing guidance, recommendations or proposals to the Programme.

Additional Certifications:
• Specialized knowledge and experience in working with national institutions and government for strengthening early warning capacity towards impact-based forecasting and in strengthening central and horizontal coordination, communication and policies for the design and implementation of anticipatory actions ahead of an extreme weather event.
• Experience in working with communities and local governments to ensure last-mile communication and cash-pay outs ahead of a forecast extreme weather event.
• Certifications in Risk Assessment or Disaster Management can be advantageous.
• Training in Early Warning Systems or Data Analysis Tools may also be beneficial.

Education:
Advanced University Degree or Master’s Degree or equivalent in fields such as: Disaster Risk Management, Environmental Science, Climate Change, Public Health, International Development, Agronomy or Food Security, Data Science/Statistics.

Language:
International Professional: Fluency (level C) in English language. Intermediate knowledge (level B) of a second official UN language: Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish, and/or Portuguese (a WFP working language).

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK

WFP Leadership Framework guides to the common standards of behavior that guide HOW we work together to accomplish our mission.

Click here to access WFP Leadership Framework

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

WFP is dedicated to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our recruitment process is inclusively crafted to welcome candidates of all backgrounds, celebrating diversity and ensuring a respectful environment for all. We aim for an accessible and fair recruitment journey. Should you need any reasonable accommodations or have accessibility concerns, please reach out to us confidentially at global.inclusion@wfp.org. Our DEI team is here to ensure your full participation in our recruitment process.

NO FEE DISCLAIMER

The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.

REMINDERS BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

• We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete, and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, language skills and UN Grade (if applicable).
• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application.
• Please make sure you upload your professional CV in the English language
• Kindly note the only documents you will need to submit at this time are your CV and Cover Letter
• Additional documents such as passport, recommendation letters, academic certificates, etc. may potentially be requested at a future time
• Please contact us at global.hrerecruitment@wfp.org in case you face any challenges with submitting your application
• Only shortlisted candidates will be notified

All employment decisions are made on the basis of organizational needs, job requirements, merit, and individual qualifications. WFP is committed to providing an inclusive work environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse, all forms of discrimination, any kind of harassment, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. Therefore, all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements